As I look back at this course and the discussions and blog entries I completed, I found myself becoming more and more open to seeing math as so much more than equations and numbers. I've reached the point of understanding that math is closely linked to how we communicate—through words, through actions, and even through how we write things down. This has given me greater confidence as a math instructor, for I now understand that teaching math is not merely a matter of getting the right answers—it is also helping students to express their ideas in forms that make sense to them.
One of the major ideas that
really connected with me is the fact that students can express their
mathematical thinking through gestures, movement, drawings, and words. This is
essential, especially in making mathematics accessible to everyone. I have also
learned that the way we speak and write about mathematics can be inclusive of
students or push them out. For this reason, I would like to concentrate on
making my classroom one that welcomes many methods of communicating ideas.
I would like to keep myself open
to thoughtfully examining the mathematics materials and practices I use. I know
there is no one "best" way to teach math since each class and each
student is unique. My aim is to keep myself tuned in to what is successful, be
open to new ideas, and make my teaching flexible to meet my students' needs. I
might not always feel like a cool math teacher, but I do want to be one who is
always learning and questioning my work so that I can help my students succeed.
